Credit Card Debt Statistics

Credit card debt is unsecured consumer debt, accessed through credit cards. Debt results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system. Debt accumulates and increases via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent.

Share This

Credit Card Debt Statistics

Data

Total U.S. credit card debt

$793.1 Billion

Average credit card debt per household

$15,799

Average household debt

$54,000

Percent of consumers that carried an unpaid balance in the past 12 months

56%

Percent who said their debt had gotten "higher" in the past 12 months

26%

The average balance per open credit card

$1,157

Percent of disposable income that went to service credit card debt

13.9%

Percent of families whose debt exceeds 40% of their income

14.7%

Average credit card debt carried by undergraduate college students

$3,173

Alaska has the highest average cardholder debt of

$7,827

Percent of cardholders whose balance is less than $1,000

40%

Percent of cardholders whose balance is above $10,000

15%

Average combined credit card limit per consumer

$19,000

Average debt of a college graduate

$20,000

Percent of 18 to 24 year-olds who have "debt hardships"

20%

Percent of survey who believe they had the same or less debt than the average